"In martyrdom, Agnes also seals the other crucial element of her life, virginity for Christ and for the Church. The total gift of martyrdom is prepared, in fact, by the conscious, free and mature choice of virginity, a witness to the will to belong totally to Christ. If martyrdom is a final heroic act, virginity is the result of a long friendship with Jesus that has matured in the constant hearing of His Word, in the dialogue of prayer, in the Eucharistic encounter."
Pope Benedict XVI
Address at the Almo Collegio Capranica, Roma,
for the Feast of St. Agnes ~ Jan. 20, 2012
St Agnes
Virgin, Martyr
291-304 AD
FEAST DAY - January 21
"This is a virgin's birthday; let us follow the example of her chastity. It is a martyr's birthday; let us offer sacrifices; it is the birthday of holy Agnes: let men be filled with wonder, little ones with hope, married woman with awe, and the unmarried with emulation. It seems to me that this child, holy beyond her years and courageous beyond human nature, received the name of Agnes (Greek: pure) not as an earthly designation but as a revelation from God of what she was to be." ~ St. Augustine
Including 2 min YouTube
The lamb, as a symbol of purity, is one of the symbols of St. Agnes. In Rome on this day, the Holy Father will bless two crowned lambs, brought to the Church of St. Agnes
St. Agnes, like St. Valentine, St. Catherine of Alexandria, and St. Anthony of Padua, is invoked by single women in search of a husband -- and today is a good day to pray such a prayer. (I am praying too - you know who you are! - Janette) In fact, Medieval folklore says that on St. Agnes Eve, girls are often granted visions of their future husbands. Scottish girls would meet in a crop field at midnight, throw grain onto the soil, and pray:
Agnes sweet and Agnes fair,
Hither, hither, now repair;
Bonny Agnes, let me see
The lad who is to marry me.
Hither, hither, now repair;
Bonny Agnes, let me see
The lad who is to marry me.
Source: www.fisheaters.com
St Agnes, ora pro nobis!
Blessings!
ReplyDeleteI'm designing prayer cards of St. Agnes for our parish and was wondering if this picture of her is in the public domain--it's one of the few that makes her look as young as she was!
Thank you :)
Greetings, Pussywillow - Sorry to report that I do not know if the image is public domain. There are a few others (stained glass in particular) that portray her quite youthful also. THis may be worth investigating too. She is a dear 'older' sister who is forever young. St Agnes, pray for us!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply :). I've found one stained glass window picture that's a possibility, but I don't know if that photo is public domain either (!). I'll keep looking!
ReplyDeleteThe Lord has you on a mission! Happy - and holy - trails to yoU!
ReplyDeleteHe does--and thank you :). He's had me on a lot of missions ever since our new pastor gave me permission to design third class relic cards from his collection of first- & second-class relics (over 40). Now that I've hunted down all *those* pictures, people are asking for other saints! It's a good problem to have ;).
ReplyDeleteDear Janette :),
ReplyDeleteI just thought I'd stop back in to let you know that I found the original photographer (Jeff Gardner) of a lovely stained glass window of St. Agnes & he very graciously gave permission to use it for the prayer cards :). Mission complete!
Thank you again for your kindness and encouragement :)!
Happy news! How kind and thoughtful to update. Do you have a Web site from which you display/dispense your third class relic cards? Would love to see the fruit of your holy endeavors.
ReplyDelete